Pathfinder Tales: The Redemption Engine

When murdered sinners fail to show up in Hell, it's up to Salim Ghadafar, an atheist warrior forced to solve problems for the goddess of death, to track down the missing souls. In order to do so, Salim will need to descend into the anarchic city of Kaer Maga, following a trail that ranges from Hell's iron cities to the gates of Heaven itself. Along the way, he'll be aided by a host of otherworldly creatures, a streetwise teenager, and two warriors of the mysterious Iridian Fold. But when the missing souls are the scum of the earth, and the victims devils themselves, can anyone really be trusted?

From acclaimed author James L. Sutter comes a sequel to Death's Heretic, ranked #3 on Barnes & Noble's Best Fantasy Releases of 2011!

Average product rating:

Loved this book

Having been a long-time reader of Forgotten Realms, I have recently delved into the world of Pathfinder. I enjoyed the first book in the Salim series, Death’s Heretic, and this one was even better. I love seeing the different planes, and the theological debates. Salim is a flawed but fascinating character. I’m not a religious person, but I don’t really understand the Rahadoumi (sp?) philosophy. Paying tribute to the gods doesn’t mean you have to be yoked to them. They would rather spend eternity in the atheist graveyard than in a true afterlife, all for the sake of pride? It doesn’t make sense to me, but it adds to Salim’s character. In The Redemption Engine, we see him continue to grow.

Aside from Salim, my favorite characters in this book would have to be Roshad and Bors. I loved the idea of the Iridian Fold, and the inclusivity of this book (I hope to read more like it). Their love for each other was palpable, and it was refreshing to see.

And of course, there were the angels. Being a fan of angels, I enjoyed seeing the Pathfinder’s take on them, and the idea of “redeemed devils” is something that comes into play in my own writing. Aruzethiel was an interesting character, and I wish he had been featured more prominently.

All in all, a great read, and I hope to read more about Salim’s adventures in the future.

Solid 5 Stars

Sequels tend to disappoint. This story, however, bucks that trend. The basic setup at first appears to be the same as the first (souls are missing and and it is Salim's job to find what is happening), but it has a nice opening twist of Salim being in trouble because of how the previous book ended so someone else is being sent in to run a concurrent investigation. Like last time we go to the planes. Not the same planes as last time and where we go is a nice change. The descriptions of those planes are wonderfully done. Along we way we have a number of other twists that keep this story fresh and exciting while still feeling familiar. This story is a worthy sequel.

Unlike the last book, I was not able to figure out who was behind it until it was revealed. The details were all there but were nicely obscured. And the ending is one that I wish Joss Whedon would direct should a movie of this ever be made.

This book gets a hardy recommendation and a request for additional books by Sutter being written, whether about the character Salim or a new character.

I should add that it was nice that the author of this book set it in a location he detailed in the Pathfinder Campaign Setting (or Chronicles, as it was known at the time) line. He has far more intimate knowledge of the setting than anyone and he did an excellent job bringing it to life.

great read

While I really wanted to like Death's Heretic, there were just too many niggling details that made doubt James Sutter's ability to write solid characters.

Any doubts I had about where he was taking Salim, the plot, and the character development have disappeared after reading the Redemption Engine. His handle on his characters has improved immensely from Death's Heretic and half the excitement from reading the "sequel" (in the sense that it continues Salim's journey) is in seeing how much tighter his characters get. Sutter continues Salim's path with more mystery, more quests for Pharasma, but this time Salim's strong, embittered opinions are countered by angels that needle him, undead that he really connects with, and friends that he comes to deeply appreciate. This book does so much to make Salim feel real and human, while still continuing Sutter's whirlwind quest to have the man visit every single plane of existence. A very exciting read and top tier in the Pathfinder Novels. A+, 5 stars, would rec to friends.

Paizo Inc., Paizo, the Paizo golem logo, Pathfinder, the Pathfinder logo, Pathfinder Society, Starfinder, the Starfinder logo, GameMastery, and Planet Stories are registered trademarks of Paizo Inc. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Campaign Setting, Pathfinder Adventure Path, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, Pathfinder Player Companion, Pathfinder Modules, Pathfinder Tales, Pathfinder Battles, Pathfinder Legends, Pathfinder Online, Starfinder Adventure Path, PaizoCon, RPG Superstar, The Golem's Got It, Titanic Games, the Titanic logo, and the Planet Stories planet logo are trademarks of Paizo Inc. Dungeons & Dragons, Dragon, Dungeon, and Polyhedron are registered trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and have been used by Paizo Inc. under license. Most product names are trademarks owned or used under license by the companies that publish those products; use of such names without mention of trademark status should not be construed as a challenge to such status.